Talk of a topless version of Audi's A1 light car has been doing the rounds since its debut in 2009. Now, a new report out of Germany suggests Audi may take a tip from the Fiat 500C's rolling canvas roof.

The little Fiat isn't the first of its kind, of course. Its own predecessor wore a similar roll-back fabric top in the 50s, Citroen's 2CV is famous for the look, the Renault R4 had a turn, and even the Volkswagen Polo "Open Air" gave it a go.

In the case of the A1, German paper Auto Motor und Sport reports that while Audi's beancounters have dismissed the idea of a proper cabriolet, a fabric roof is seen as just the ticket.

The logic is straightforward: while a proper topdown design would require extensive strengthening of the A1's body, peeling back a chunk of roof will leave the pillars connected and keep engineering tricks to a minimum.

The magazine cites no sources for its information however, so it remains to be seen if there's any truth in it.